When the state of the question was thus changed, it was easy to see what would be the issue of so much indiscretion. The dispute was not only carried on in a dark and remote scene, into which the people could not follow their learned champions; but was rendered infinitely tedious, and, indeed, interminable. For those early writings, now to be considered as of the highest authority, were voluminous in themselves; and, what was worse, were composed in so loose, so declamatory, and often in so hyperbolical a strain, that no certain sense could be affixed to their doctrines, and any thing, or every thing, might, with some plausibility, be proved from them.
The inconvenience was sensibly felt by the Protestant world. And, after a prodigious waste of industry and erudition, a learned foreigner[241], at length, shewed the inutility and the folly of pursuing the contest any further. In a well-considered discourse, On the use of the Fathers, he clearly evinced, that their authority was much less, than was generally supposed, in all points of religious controversy; and that their judgment was especially incompetent in those points, which were agitated by the two parties. He evinced this conclusion by a variety of unanswerable arguments; and chiefly by shewing that the matters in debate were, for the most part, such as had never entered into the heads of those old writers, being, indeed, of much later growth, and having first sprung up in the barbarous ages. They could not, therefore, decide on questions, which they had no occasion to consider, and had, in fact, never considered; however their careless or figurative expression might be made to look that way, by the dextrous management of the controversialists.
This discovery had great effects. It opened the eyes of the more candid and intelligent inquirers: And our incomparable Chillingworth, with some others[242], took the advantage of it to set the controversy with the church of Rome, once more, on its proper foot; and to establish, for ever, the old principle, That the Bible, and that only, (interpreted by our best reason) is the Religion of Protestants.
Thus, ONE of the two pillars, on which the Protestant cause had been established, was happily restored. And, though Mr. Mede, about the same time, succeeded as well in his attempts to replace the OTHER, yet, through many concurring prejudices, the merit of that service hath not, hitherto, been so generally acknowledged. Whether the Pope be the Antichrist of the prophets, is still by some Protestants made a question. Yet, it seems as if it would not continue very long to be so: And it may not be too much to expect, that this institution will, hereafter, contribute to put an end to the dispute.
The Reformation will, then, be secured against the two invidious charges of Schism and Heresy (for neither of which is there any ground, if the Pope be Antichrist, and if the sole Rule of faith to a Christian be the canonical scriptures) and will, thus, stand immoveably on its ancient and proper foundations.
In saying this, I do not, however, mean to assert, that the Reformation has no support, but in this principle—that the Pope is Antichrist. There are various other considerations, which are decisive in the controversy between us and the Papists. So that, if the prophecies should, after all, be found to suit any other person or power, better than the Roman Pontif, we shall only have one argument the less to urge against his pretensions, and the Protestant cause, in the mean time, stands secure. But, on the supposition that the prophecies are rightly, and must be exclusively, applied to the church of Rome (of which every man will judge for himself, from the evidence hereafter to be laid before him) on this supposition, I say, it must be allowed that the shortest and best defence of the Protestant cause is that which is taken from the authority of those prophecies, because they expressly enjoin a separation from that society, to which they are applied.
Ye perceive, then, in all views, the utility of studying this prophecy of the Revelations, provided there be reason to admit the completion of it in the history of the Christian Church, and particularly in the history of Papal Rome. The importance and the truth of Christianity will be seen in their full light—The wisdom of the divine councils, in permitting the Apostacy to take place for a time, will be acknowledged—And the honour of our common Protestant profession will be effectually maintained.
CONCLUSION.
This Lecture is now brought down to that point, from which, possibly, ye expected me to set out. But, in the entrance on an argument, new to many persons, and misunderstood by most, it seemed expedient to take a wide compass. The true scriptural idea of the subject, was to be opened, at large[243]; the general argument from prophecy, enforced[244]; the method of the prophetic system deduced, and further illustrated in a view of the prophecies more immediately respecting the Christian church[245]; Of these prophecies, those concerning Antichrist, or the apostasy of Papal Rome, were to be cleared of all prejudices and objections[246]; and the principles, on which the Apocalyptic prophecies, in particular, are to be explained, proposed and justified[247]: It was, further, necessary to bespeak your attention to the argument from the Apocalyptic prophecies, especially, concerning Antichrist, by shewing the several presumptions there are of its force[248]; and by setting before you the uses, to which this whole inquiry may be applied[249].
This preliminary course, then, though it has been tedious, will not be thought improper, if it may serve, in any degree, to prepare and facilitate the execution of the main design, which is, To interpret and apply particular prophecies: A work, of labour indeed; but not unpleasant in itself; and (if carried on with that diligence and sobriety, which are, in reason, to be supposed) capable, I think, of affording to fair and attentive minds the fullest satisfaction.